The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business that has become a globally recognized center for student entrepreneurship and innovation, received a $25 million gift on Friday, May 2, from the Lassonde Family Foundation.

Pierre Lassonde — a University of Utah alumnus, mining entrepreneur, and philanthropist — appeared at a news conference held in the First Security Boardroom of the Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building to announce the gift, which more doubles his previous commitment to the Eccles School.

“I say all the time, of all the philanthropic enterprises that I’ve funded — and there are quite a few of them — the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is the one that has given me the most joy, by far,” he said. “… In terms of philanthropy, the thing that one looks for the most is, ‘How many lives can you touch for the better?’ This program has done it to a level that you we can’t even imagine. And we’re far from finished; it’s just going to get better and better.”

Joining Lassonde at the news conference were Kurt Dirks (dean of the Eccles School) and Troy D’Ambrosio (founding executive director of the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, and vice president for innovation and chief of staff for the President’s Office at the University of Utah), who spoke of the importance of the Lassonde Family Foundation (which also includes Pierre’s daughter Julie and son Christian) helping to continue the institute’s growth.

“As we chart our next ascent at the David Eccles School of Business, we have many exciting strengths to build on, and the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is at the top of the list,” Dirks said. “This extraordinary investment will help us expand this successful program to give every Eccles student the opportunity to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. We also look forward to exploring the possibility of creating new programming to attract the highest-achieving entrepreneurial minded students from around the country – and even the world.”

For more information, read here: https://lassonde.utah.edu/lassonde-family-commits-another-25-million-to-advance-entrepreneurship-at-the-university-of-utah/